Pioneer DVR-108 DL Recorder - Page 1

has
been leading the DVD recording race, especially when we consider that
almost all of the previous models supported the fastest DVD-R writing
speeds.
The
A07 was the only recorder that supported 8X±R recording speeds
and the A08 continues the tradition by supporting 16±R writing
speeds along with 4X DL writing, making it, the fastest DVD recorder
announced yet.

Having already tested the ASUS DRW-1604P and waiting for a new batch
of 16X recorders to popup, we compared both drives in our usual suite
of benchmarks, checking the reading and recording performance with all
formats and speeds.
Let's start :-)

- Official press release

According to the posted press release on 13/7/2004: "...Pioneer
launches its new multiple format DVD writer. The DVR-A08XL is the industry's
first DVD writer to support 16x write speeds on both DVD-R/+R along
with the option to write at 4x speed on Double Layer media. This extends
Pioneer's track record of establishing key performance benchmarks when
introducing new DVD writers.

With the facility to write 4.7GB of data to write-once media in seven minutes, or store up to 8.5GB on Double Layer media, the DVR-A08XL enhances a wide range of DVD applications including the authoring, editing and storing of video files, developing digital music catalogues, building image libraries and backing up data.

"Writing speed and data capacity are the key performance
factors for DVD writers and understandably manufacturers have focused
on these issues in the build up to the launch of next generation writers.
Indeed, with its 16x write-speed complemented by the flexibility to
store up to 8.5GB - equivalent to four hours of Standard Play (SP) video
quality - the DVR-A08XL leads the pack. At the same time, customers
are also concerned about the overall technical capabilities and the
design of DVD drives and with a range of color options and advanced
technology improving the form and functionality of the product, we are
confident that the DVR-A08XL will become the premier DVD writer for
professionals and consumers alike," observes Chris Tampsett, Senior
Manager, Pioneer Europe NV, Multimedia Division.

Enhanced technology and features

The DVR-A08XL is available in beige and black colors to
complement the contemporary design of new PCs and offers a wide range
of technologies to produce a fast yet quiet DVD writer. Improved writing
speeds can generate higher noise levels due to the increased velocity
of disc rotation and consumer research indicates that the background
ambient noise of DVD drives is becoming more noticeable. The DVR-A08XL
incorporates Pioneer's QuietDrive technology that was first introduced
in the DVR-A07XL. QuietDrive features a honeycomb design in the unit's
top outer casing that reduces vibration from the drive mechanism. Together
with noise dampening firmware and a lack of integral fan, ambient noise
from the DVR-A08XL is significantly reduced.

The DVR-A08XL also features a range of innovations, "Precision Recording Technology", that improve DVD writing performance. Precision Recording Technology includes:

Smart Laser Driver - the drive circuitry has been moved to the laser pick up to prevent signal distortion between the main board and the drive pick up.

Liquid Crystal Tilt/Thickness Compensator - the mechanism helps to ensure precise writing onto the surface of discs that have become warped or are of uneven thickness. Such media can also cause vibration in the drive mechanism that impairs recording quality.

Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber (Low Vibration Mechanism) - this acts to reduce the instability and vibration which is caused by imbalanced or damaged media, to achieve and maintain the integrity of the recording and playback performance.

The drive will be available in September for under €200 through Pioneer resellers and retailers. An OEM version of the drive - the DVR-108 - will also be available through PC manufacturers. (The DVR-108 does not include the honeycomb chassis or the front bezel design of the DVR-A08XL, as it is an internal drive intended for OEM manufacturers to install in their PC's.)..."

- Features

The Pioneer DVR-108 supports 16X DVD±R, 4X DVD±RW
and 4X DVD+R DL writing according to the official specifications. As
a CD recorder it supports 32X CD-R and 24X US-RW writing along with
40X CD-ROM reading. Below are the full specs for the drive:

The drive does not support Mount Rainier, as is the case with most new DVD
recorders, for either of the CD or DVD format. It uses the well known RPC II
region control, allowing
a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times. Till now, there is no
known way to make the drive region free.

Below are the drive's main characteristics as given by NeroInfoTool.
and DVDInfoPro:

- The drive

We received the bulk (OEM) version of Pioneer DVR-108 from Pioneer. We
would like to thank Pioneer HQ for providing this engineering sample
for
our review. Below is a picture of the final retail package for
the DVR-A08XLA:

The drive is also available with black bezel under a different
code name (DVR-A08XLB):

"...Apart from the cosmetic differences and Honeycomb Chassis
for reduced drive resonance the retail version DVRA08XL also contains
blank high speed media 8x DVD-R & 4x DVD-RW in the carton and
additional software bundle as listed above. The DVRA08XL also includes
Performance adjusting firmware, which allows for quiet playback of
commercial DVD video..."

The front of the drive is rather simple, without the Pioneer logo but
with the DVD-R, DVD+RW and USRW logos.

Below are the pictures of the retail drives, DVR-A08XLA:

and DVR-A08XLB:

On the rear you can find the analogue and digital audio outputs
(SPDIF), the IDE selection pins, the IDE connector and the power input.
There's even vent holes for a fan, however one isn't
installed.

The top of the drive includes the identification sticker with code
number, serial number, manufacture date and place of manufacture ("Made
in China"), as well as various approvals among
other things:

Removing the screws and opening the drive's cover voids the drive's warranty. For reference reasons, we post the following pictures. Click on the photos for an enlarged view.

The main chipset comes from NEC and its part number is NEC
D63635GM in combination with the NEC C333500:

Model name

C3335

Process

Bi-CMOS 0.35

Voltage

5V

Package

120-pin TQFP (14x14mm)

Power consumption

0.66W (8x DVD playback)

0.74W 8x DVD recording)

Speeds

DVD playback

16x CAV

DVD-RAM playback

4x

DVD recording

16x

CD playback

48x

CD recording

48x

Model name

D63635

Process

CMOS 0.15

Voltage

1.5V core, 3.3V I/O

Package

216-pin LQFP (24x24mm)

Power consumption

0.35W (8x DVD playback)

0.95W (8x DVD recording, LVDS)

Interface

Host

ATA/ATAPI5

Buffer

16Mbit SDRAM

Speeds

DVD playback

16x CAV

DVD-RAM playback

4x

DVD recording

16x

CD playback

48x

CD recording

48x

Below is a close up photo of the drive's pickup/lens
system:

- Installation

The device was connected to our test PC and was identified as "PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108" under WinXP.

The drive arrived with v1.04 firmware revision,

which was updated to v1.06 and used to perform all
the reading/writing tests. Its quite possible that soon, newer firmware
versions will be released from Pioneer to improve the drive's reading/writing
performance.

In this review, we will be comparing the drive with the BenQ DW1600A and ASUS DRW-1604P.